TWC 8300HD DVR eSATA port is now active! (external hard drive storage)

[atanag46]

Hello, obviously I'm brand new to this forum, but have been a reader for several years.  Is there such thing as a USB or Firewire to eSATA adapter?  I've got a 160 GB external hard drive laying around that I'd love to hook up to my 8300HD DVR.  Thanks!

[waterhead]

Google is your friend.

A quick search found this:
http://www.addonics.com/products/io/aau2esa.asp
It's cheaper at Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812174001

If your motherboard has open SATA ports, you could use this:
http://www.computervideogear.com/sata/external-sata-esata-adapter.htm

[atanag46]

Thanks.  I need to go the other direction, though.  My external hard-drive is USB, and want to plug it into the 8300's SATA port.  Can I go this direction?

[waterhead]

Thanks.  I need to go the other direction, though.  My external hard-drive is USB, and want to plug it into the 8300's SATA port.  Can I go this direction?

Oh, right. What was I thinking? :blush:

You could get adapters for each end of the USB to eSATA adapter. But there is no guarentee that it would even work.

[waterhead]

Okay, to redeem myself, I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812240002

It looks like a hub for any kind of storage device. It says it connects to a PC with a eSATA connection.

Paul

[waterhead]

On further review, it says it needs Wndows to work:
http://www.koutech.com/proddetail.asp?linenumber=297

[Will]

For those interested:  CompUSA now has the Seagate eSATA 300GB Hard Drive for 149.99 -- good through Tuesday Nov 21 only.  It's 199.99 - 50 MIR.

[captinsano]

=======

But ... I do have some issues that are puzzling ..


2. Given that all my new recordings will be to the eSATA for a while since it has more space (that's the protocol), everything I've recorded in the last week should be going to eSATA. When I try to watch something that is still recording, I've had some glitches, including losing the remainder of the recording. I'd be curious if any of you have had such problems. If I wait until the recording is over, there is no problem watching the recording.

Hey Gadgetguy.  I have similar problems with my 8300HD and a Seagate 320gig in an external enclosure.  Many times a program won't record the whole thing... and this even happens if its overnight and no one is using the box.  Sometimes it wont even record at all.

Any ideas?

[Greg Oman]

Does anyone know if you plug in an external drive, what the program content is stored as?  Meaning, if TW did release a new firmware and we lost the eSATA functionality, could the content be recovered by another software tool?

If so, that seems to mitigate the investment risk somewhat.

Greg O.

[Gregg Lengling]

Does anyone know if you plug in an external drive, what the program content is stored as?  Meaning, if TW did release a new firmware and we lost the eSATA functionality, could the content be recovered by another software tool?

If so, that seems to mitigate the investment risk somewhat.

Greg O.

I don't think file formats will be changed.  The updates that TWC is mainly doing has to do with the user interface not with the core system.  BTW I hate new software, it doesn't search worth a damn and at times I'll select a channel and get only audio, no video and I have to use the up/down channel buttons to get the video back.  BAH HUMBUG!

[Mark Strube]

Meaning, if TW did release a new firmware and we lost the eSATA functionality, could the content be recovered by another software tool?

I'm 90% certain it gets stored in an encrypted proprietary format, and at this point there's no tools to recover the video files. However, I haven't tried this myself, so that's why I say 90%.

[Greg Oman]

Interesting... I'll try it and see what I can see.  January 2007 Sound&Vision Magazine came today, interesting comment on page 14.. Room to Burn.  Talks about the FCC requiring a functional firewire port to all customer's who request it.  The gist of the response is that you should be able to get a functional port to store more HD content.

Greg O.

[Paul S.]

It would be great if this became standard.

[tekdredger]

Mark,

Did you lose any DVR functionality after adding the external drive?  I recall when this first became feasible some folks in the AVS forums were reporting trouble with the so called "trick play buffer".  I'm about to pull the trigger but I'm wondering what I might have to give up to get the extra storage space.  One feature I use often and am most concerned about is "chase play", watching a program from the beginning while it is still recording.  Your comments and observations are appreciated.  P.S.  What firmware version are you using?

Thanks

[Mark Strube]

The only thing I lost is that functionality - rewinding a program while you're watching (not recording) it.